Daily Report Friday, 6 November 2015 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 6 November 2015 and the information is correct at the time of publication (03:52 P.M., 06 November 2015). For the latest information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements, please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/ CONTENTS ANSWERS 4 Communities and Local ATTORNEY GENERAL 4 Government: Digital Technology 11 Law Officers' Departments: Pay 4 Communities and Local BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND Government: Freedom of SKILLS 5 Information 11 Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK: Devon and Somerset Fire and Redcar 5 Rescue Service 11 CABINET OFFICE 5 East Sussex Fire and Rescue Cabinet Office: Public Service 12 Appointments 5 Infrastructure: Government TREASURY 6 Assistance 13 Apprentices: Taxation 6 Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Balance of Trade 6 Service: Staff 13 Educational Institutions: CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT 14 Productivity 7 Cybercrime 14 Employee Ownership 7 DEFENCE 14 Landfill Communities Fund 8 Armed Forces: Private Education 14 Manufacturing Industries 8 Army: Resignations 17 Revenue and Customs: ICT 9 Defence: Expenditure 17 Treasury: Freedom of Iraq: Military Intervention 18 Information 9 Military Aircraft 18 Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Military Bases: Operating Costs 19 Services 9 Ministry of Defence: Freedom COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL of Information 20 GOVERNMENT 10 Ministry of Defence: Risk Affordable Housing 10 Management 20 Air Force: Military Bases 10 2 Friday, 6 November 2015 Daily Report EDUCATION 21 Junior Doctors: Conditions of Children's Play 21 Employment 33 Junior Doctors: Pay 33 Department for Education: Digital Technology 22 Junior Doctors: Training 33 Pupils: Disadvantaged 22 Junior Doctors: Working Hours 34 Pupils: Newark 22 Medical Treatments: Finance 34 Teachers: Per Capita Costs 23 Medicine: Education 35 Teachers: Training 23 Mental Health 35 ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE 24 Mental Health Services 35 Fracking 24 Mental Health: Older People 36 Fracking: Drinking Water 24 NHS: Drugs 37 Renewable Energy: Feed-in Nurses 37 Tariffs 25 Royal Sussex County Hospital 39 ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL HOME OFFICE 39 AFFAIRS 25 Action Fraud 39 Food: Waste 25 Drug Seizures 40 FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 26 Home Office: Correspondence 40 Foreign and Commonwealth Home Office: Senior Civil Office: Freedom of Information 26 Servants 40 Indonesia: Christianity 26 Remembrance Day: Parades 41 Islamic State: Yazidis 26 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 41 Yazidis 41 Sri Lanka: Politics and Government 27 JUSTICE 42 Syria: Refugees 27 Courts: Bridgend 42 Turkey: Christianity 28 Criminal Proceedings: Fees and HEALTH 28 Charges 42 Agency Nurses 28 HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Procurement 43 Doctors 28 Legal Aid Scheme: Criminal Doctors: Retirement 29 Proceedings 43 Drugs: Licensing 29 Legal Aid Scheme: Procurement 43 General Practitioners 30 Ministry of Justice: Stationery 44 Health Professions: Recruitment 31 Prison Service: Staff 44 Health Services: Older People 32 Prisoners: Suicide 45 Junior Doctors 32 Reoffenders 45 Friday, 6 November 2015 Daily Report 3 Social Security Benefits: Employment: Low Incomes 50 Disability 46 Jobcentre Plus: Food Banks 51 Stephen O'Malley 46 Jobcentre Plus: Plaistow 51 LEADER OF THE HOUSE 47 Poverty 52 Times of Sittings 47 Universal Credit 52 SPEAKER'S COMMITTEE ON THE MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS 53 ELECTORAL COMMISSION 47 ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL Absent Voting 47 AFFAIRS 53 TRANSPORT 48 Dairy Products: Prices 53 Bus Services: Subsidies 48 Pollinators 53 Highways Agency 48 WRITTEN STATEMENTS 55 Motor Vehicles: Insurance 49 BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND Southern: Rolling Stock 49 SKILLS 55 Transport: Finance 49 Higher Education Green Paper 55 WORK AND PENSIONS 50 Department for Work and Pensions: Digital Technology 50 Notes: Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared. Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an oral question and has since been unstarred. 4 Daily Report Friday, 6 November 2015 ANSWERS ANSWERS ATTORNEY GENERAL Law Officers' Departments: Pay Andrew Gwynne: [13168] To ask the Attorney General, how much was paid in (a) year end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials in the Law Officers' Departments in each of the last three years. Jeremy Wright: Non-consolidated performance related awards are only paid to reward excellence, for example to recognise and incentivise those responsible for delivering high quality public services and savings to the taxpayer. Those one-off payments are not pensionable. Furthermore, since 2010/11 the Government has restricted awards for senior civil servants to the top 25% of performers (from 65% in previous years), saving around £15 million overall. A table showing information on performance related awards made by the Law Officers’ Departments during the past three financial years is presented below. LAW OFFICER’S DEPARTMENTS – PERFORMANCE AWARDS Financial 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Year Year end In year Year end In year Year end In year Government £531,105 £144,013 £755,080 £139,635 * £182,376 Legal Department ** Crown £128,347 None £98,261 None £115,453 None Prosecution Service *** Serious £235,872 £34,293 £236,051 £75,946 £232,080 £92,505 Fraud Office * The year-end figures for the 2014/15 performance year are not yet finalised. ** The increase in the sums for GLD reflects the fact that the department has significantly increased in size each year since 2011, as a result of consolidation of government legal teams into a single department. The GLD data also covers the Attorney General’s Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. Daily Report Friday, 6 November 2015 ANSWERS 5 *** The only bonus scheme operated within the CPS is for SCS grades or the equivalent Senior Legal Manager (SLM) grades. Further details on staff numbers and costs, including performance related pay are published in the respective departmental Annual Report and Accounts. BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK: Redcar Anna Turley: [14661] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will assess the performance of the Official Receiver during the liquidation of SSI UK. Anna Soubry: It is not part of the Secretary of State’s functions to assess the performance of the Official Receiver when acting as liquidator. The Secretary of State cannot interfere in the administration of the liquidation. Anna Turley: [14663] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister about the value of the Government support package for people affected by the closure of the SSI Steelworks in Redcar. Anna Soubry: The package, worth up to £80 million, announced to support former SSI workers and the Tees Valley economy more broadly was agreed across Government. CABINET OFFICE Cabinet Office: Public Appointments Chi Onwurah: [14621] To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11489, if he will make available the minutes of the Data Steering Group. Chi Onwurah: [14622] To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11489, when the Chief Data Officer will be appointed. Matthew Hancock: The Data Steering Group has been established, chaired by the National Statistician, John Pullinger, which brings together leading experts to advise government on the strategic direction of the new Government Data Programme. Notes of these meetings will be made available on the Government Data Programme blog page on GOV.UK in due course. 6 Daily Report Friday, 6 November 2015 ANSWERS TREASURY Apprentices: Taxation Helen Jones: [14491] To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on the level at which the apprenticeship levy should be set; and if he will make a statement. Greg Hands: Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm. We had a full public consultation on the implementation of the levy and are considering those representations now. Further details will be announced at the Spending Review. Helen Jones: [14492] To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount which the proposed apprenticeship levy will raise in (a) Warrington and (b) the North-West. Greg Hands: Apprenticeships are a cornerstone of our skills system. The levy will drive growth in quality and quantity in apprenticeships and further details will be set out at the Spending Review. Provisional information shows that there have been 6,470 apprenticeship starts in Warrington North since May 2010. There have been over 78,000 apprenticeship starts in the North West over the same period with a 51% increase in starts from 2009/10 to 2013/14. The levy will ensure we can build on that success over the next five years by putting the funding of apprenticeships in the hands of employers in the North West. Balance of Trade Stephen Timms: [14589] To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the size of the current account balance in 2014. Mr David Gauke: The current account deficit in 2014 was 5.1% of